Sheet metal reel



Nov. 13, 1951 sc I 2,574,845

SHEET METAL REEL Filed Nov. 4; 1949 2 SPIEETS-SHEET 1 IN VEN TOR. F/PEDfiF/CK E- SCH/45F E R Nov. 13, 1951 v F. R. SCHAEFER 2,574,845

SHEET METAL REEL Filed NOV.'4, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 INVENTOR. FEEDER/CA 7a- SCH/Mme M M 7'7'OiP/VEYS Patented Nov. 13, 1951 SHEET METAL REEL Frederick R. Schaefer, Youngstown, Ohio, assignor to Republic Steel Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of New Jersey Application November 4, 1949, Serial No. 125,464

This invention relates generally to reels for elongated articles and is particularly concerned with a reel which is constructed of thin sheet metal and yet is suitable for heavy-duty use as, for example, in shipping such things as copper cable, wire, rope and the like.

Heavy, elongated articles, for example, copper cable, were long ago shipped on wooden reels. These reels were not only heavy and short lived, but became more and more expensive as time went on. More recently, efforts have been made to substitute metal reels for such wooden reels, but initially these efforts were embodied in reels of heavy construction which meant that not only was their heavy weight a disadvantage, but that the cost was proportionately high. From time to time efforts have been made to lighten the weight of metal reels and some reels which I have devised heretofore and for which patent applications have been filed have been quite suc cessful commercially.

The present invention aims to provide a heavyduty, light-weight sheet metal reel which Will be lower in cost than many reels now in commercial use and which, despite the fact that thin sheet metal is employed, will possess the necessary strength for satisfactory use with such heavy articles as copper cable.

The present invention will be better understood by those skilled in the art from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an end elevational view of one form of reel embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side, elevational view of the hub of the reel of Figs. 1 and 2 before assembly with the reel ends;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, end elevational view of one of the end rings of the reel of Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the reinforcing member of the reel of Fig. 1.

The embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings comprises a hub I and two end assemblies, each consisting of a ring 2, a disk 3, a disk reinforcing member 4 and means 5 for securing the end assemblies to the hub.

The hub I is composed of thin sheet metal which is rolled into a cylinder 9 with its ends fastened in any suitable way, as by welding, to a metal strip I0. Ears II project from each end of the cylinder 9 at circumferentially spaced 2 Claims. (Cl. 242-123) places and near their ends are perforated as at I2.

As just stated, each end assembly includes a ring 2, a disk 3 and a reinforcing member 4 with securing means 5. A description of one such end will suflice for both ends of the reel.

Each ring 2 comprises a body portion I5 through which extend perforations I6 at places spaced circumferentially corresponding to the spacing of ears II of the hub. The body por-= tion is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the hub and the inner portion of the ring is bent outwardly to form a flange l'l extending coa'xially. with the hub and lying against the inner surface thereof. The inner edge portion of the ring at the end of flange I1 is bent inwardly and is perforated as at I8. When the ring 2 is assembled with hub I and the perforated end portions of ears I I are bent inwardly, the perforations- I2 in these ears and I8 in the ring are in alignment so that securing means may be passed therethrough.

Each disk comprises a body portion 20 provided with an inturned flange 2| defining an opening 22 to receive a bar on which the reel may be mounted for rotation during the coiling of an elongated article on the reel or uncoilin it from the reel. v'I'he disk is also provided with two other annular flanges 23 defining holes 24 on 0pposite sides of the central hole 22. These flanges 2| and 23 seat in and closely engage the inside surfaces of holes in member 4 which extends diametrically of the hub I and serves to strengthen and increase the rigidity of the disk within the end of the hub.

The body 20 of disk 3 isprovided with small depressions 25 spaced circumferentially apart to correspond with the location of cars ll of the hub I. These depressions 25 are perforated and the perforations may be aligned with perforations I8 of ring 2 andperforations I2 of hub I. When these three parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 2, securing means 5, such as screws, may extend through the said perforations and hold the three parts in assembled position.

The body portion 2|] of disk 3 is perpendicu- -lar to the centerline of the hub I from the cen-- ter outwardly to a point radially well beyond the outer surface of hub I. There the disk 3 is bent inwardly toward ring 2 to form a circumferential groove-like depression 21, the bottom 28 of which has holes 29 extending therethrough at diametrically opposite points and, at circumferentially spaced places, this bottom wall 28 is further depressed, as at 30, to engage the ring 2 to which the disk may be secured, as by welding,

The outer edge portion of ring 2 is bent to form a flange 35 which extends axially of the reel and lies in contact with the outer surfaces of the part 36 of disk 3 which defines the radially outer side of depression 21. Prolongations of flanges 35 and 36 are brought into contact with each other and are then bent radially outward, then axially inward of the reel and then axially outward again and are thus rolled and folded together so as to form a rim composed of five layers of metal, each pressed into contact with the layers on opposite sides thereof and all the layers together forming a rim of considerable resistance to deformation. --Preferab1y this rim is provided with a circumferential depression 3'! with which a driving or braking belt may be assembled.

From the accompanying drawings and the foregoing description, it will be seen that the reel there illustrated is composed of thin gauge sheet metal par-ts and that these parts are so devised, assembled and connected together that they give the reel a high degree of strength. The metal constituting the disk was 20 gauge and that con-- stituting the ring and drum and reinforcing'memher was 18 gauge.

In contrast with the wooden reels 'of the prior art, reels embodying-the present invention have a constant weight, i. e., the weight does not change due to absorption or loss of water as ocours with wooden reels; do not splinter when dropped with formation of slivers which often penetrate insulation on cable on the reel and make it unusable; and, on'the basis of capacity, cost only about one-third as much to produce. In contrast with metal reels of the prior art, reels embodying this invention weigh less than, and-cost about one-third as much as, the prior metal reels of the same capacity.

Having thus described the present invention so that others skilled in the art may be able to un derstandand practice the same; I state that what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is defined in what is claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A heavy-duty, light-weight metal reel, suitable for carrying cable and the like, comprising a cylindrical sheet metal hub and reel ends attached thereto, said hub having circumferentiah lyspaced ears extending from its ends and bent radially inward near their ends, each of said reel ends including a sheet metal ring and a 'disk, said ring having a body portion perforated for said ears to extend through and being bent axially outward to bear against the inner surface of said ears and having an inwardly extending flange at its inner edge, said disk having a body portion indented at circumferentially spaced points to bear against said inwardly extending ears, means securing said disk, ring and ears in assembled position, the odterrpqrtionsor said ring and disk being connected to form a 2. A heavy-duty, light-weight metal reel, suitable for carrying cable and the like, comprising a "cylindrical sheet metal hub and reel ends attached thereto, said hub having circumferentially spaced ears extending from the ends of the hub and bent radially inward and perforated near their ends and reel ends attached to said hub, each of said ends including asheet metal ring, and a disk, said ring having a body portion perforated for said ears to extend through and being bent axially outward to bear against theinner surface of said ears and having an inwardly extending flaii'g'e at its inner edge perforated to align with the perforations in said ears, said 'disk having a body portion indented at circumferentially spaced points to bear against said inwardly extending ears and having perforations to align with the perforations in said ears. and ring, screws extending throughthe aligned erforations in said disk, ring and ears 'for securing these parts inass'embled position, the outer portions 'of said ring and disk being connected to form a rim.

FREDERICK R. "SCHAEFER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 976,382 Leitch Nov. 22, 1910 1,066,609 Hastings July 8, 1913 1,341,815 Mossberg June 1, 1920 1,868,229 Gyourko 1 Y July 19, 1932 1,920,422 Mills Aug. 1, 1933 2,234,321 Searjeant Mar. 11, 1941 2,494,522 Schaefei' Jan. 10, 1950 2,494,523 S'chaefer Jan. 10, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 323,518 France Nov. 11, 1902 410,426 Great Britain May 17, 1-934 

